First World War Letters from Harold McGill to Emma Griffis

Your fine long and most interesting letter of April 24 came yesterday. To day I did not receive a scrap of mail of any kind to-day.

This an interval of time of about two hours duration between this paragraph and the one above. I was interrupted just after I began the letter. I had intended writing to Mrs. Clarke of Calgary this afternoon but shall not have time now. After dinner we are all busy for some time censoring the mail going out from the patients and our own men. There is a big bagful of letters every night.

Both the war news and the weather have been very depressing of late. It rained dogs and cats nearly all day yesterday and I think most of the night also. To day has been very cloudy and misty but there has not been much rain. I suppose the war correspondents will be telling us for about the Nth time that the Germans approached our lines unobserved on account of the mist. If patrols were kept out as they should be the mist would not make any marked difference except for airplane observation. Last year we used to hear a great deal about the mud.

I had a dream last night that I was on leave and that we were together again. I also thought that the news came that Merville had been recaptured by us. So when you get reliable news that Merville has really been recaptured you may begin to expect me in England on leave. I am not worrying as much over the war situation as I was a month ago. As a matter of fact just at present our work is to run a rest station and if we do that well nothing more can be expected of us.

I note that you express a desire to go to the U.S. or some other country after the war. No, if Canada had rejected conscription I should have agreed with you but not as things are. The U.S. had just as much moral obligation and self interest to be in this war from the start as Canada had. Canada has been guilty of many shortcomings but the U.S. many more. I believe the Americans are in it now heart and soul but they are over two years late in starting and it will be at least another two years before they are in a position to exert anything like their full strength.

Did not know that I was becoming so saturated with tobacco that I contaminated my note paper. I really am smoking entirely to much and must begin to moderate my habits somewhat in that line.

Do not expect a letter from me every day although I shall write at least every other day if possible.

A Storytelling Blog

The Dear Miss Griffis blog shares the personal and real stories of Calgary doctor Harold McGill from World War One. A letter written to his friend (and future wife) Emma Griffis will be posted every week. This storytelling blog was started by the Glenbow Museum in March 2006.